Justin Madders MP, Labour’s Shadow
Health Minister, responding
to today’s Royal College of Midwives report on agency spending in the NHS,
said:
“The Government’s management of
the NHS workforce has been a disaster for both staff and patients. The country
is now 3,500 short of the number of midwives needed and the RCM say almost
£100m is being used to plug the gaps with temporary staff.
“It’s essential that hospitals are
able to get the right number of midwives in place to keep mothers and their
babies safe. Labour’s research published earlier this year showed a huge rise
in temporary closures of maternity units because of short staffing. The
Government’s underfunding of the NHS is failing families in their time of need.
“Ministers must step in with a
long term workforce plan for the NHS and they should put an end to the
self-defeating pay cap. At the moment too much money is going to employment
agencies when it should be going to frontline patient care.”
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